Is he not aware that all members of the Israeli football team have served in the IDF — mandatory service in Israel? Is he not aware or care that the state of Israel uses football to “sportswash” the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank? In January 2024, Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza (now destroyed) was used as a temporary jail for Palestinians. Most Irish people and Irish athletes and footballers oppose playing Israel. The 2022 birthrate was 1.6 children per woman, nearly five children fewer than it was about 60 years ago.

Source: Irish Examiner February 28, 2026 15:26 UTC